I Am Nothing Of a Builder But Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: Not that they need the excuse of studying for English class to hang out anymore. They see each other on a daily basis and even though Aubrey doesn't know why Chloe decided that the person she wanted for her confidant was a shy and serious blonde, Aubrey's glad that she did.


**Disclaimer: **The characters you know don't belong to me. I did make up all the names of the sororities and fraternities but that's the extent of my creativeness. The title for this story comes from the song "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" by The Decemberists.

**A/N: **So sorry not sorry. I can't stop writing _Pitch Perfect_ stories to save my life. And I absolutely love Aubrey and Chloe and the whole fandom. So here's yet another story. And, once again, what was intended to be a short, possibly funny little story turned into this much longer story about Chloe and Aubrey's freshmen year at Barden. So...whoops. I hope everyone enjoys!

**"I Am Nothing of a Builder But Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" **

Sending her acceptance letter to Barden University was Aubrey Posen's first and currently last act of rebellion; it led to three months of the silent treatment and a summer spent earning money to pay her first year's tuition. So Aubrey feels like no one can blame her for throwing herself whole-heartedly into her studies. She spends the majority of her time in the library, doing homework or working on papers and projects. If she's not doing those things, then she's studying the material until she knows it as well as the professors. Aubrey doesn't mind this commitment because she likes all her classes. Well, almost all of them. She could do without her British Literature class but she's never been a fan of English classes in general because who's really going to care if she can talk about the symbolism in _Pride and Prejudice_? But Aubrey goes every Monday and Wednesday and dutifully reads the chapters and answers the questions her professor poses.

There are several people in her class that Aubrey recognizes from her floor or the dining hall but she chooses to sit by herself in the back and leave the chattering and bonding to the people who don't have fathers to impress. One Wednesday morning, Aubrey is skimming over the assigned reading when someone drops down in the seat next to her. "Oh good, I'm not the only one." The girl remarks cheerfully. "I didn't read either."

Aubrey looks away from her book and gives this bubbly redhead a look of disdain. She knows this girl because she lives in the dorm across from Aubrey's but she can't for the life of her remember her name. "I read." Aubrey informs her frankly. "I always read. I was just refreshing my memory."

"Great, then you can tell _me_ what happened." The girl doesn't seem phased by Aubrey's tone or expression. "I think all these books are _so_ boring. And this one is lame. I mean, hello, _vampires_. I've seen _Twilight_, okay, I think I know about vampires." She taps the cover of _Dracula_ with a pink-painted fingernail.

Aubrey can't help but give her a shocked look. "That's….not even close."

The redhead flips through the pages of her book. "So, what happened? Did he bite a bunch of people?" The girl smiles over at Aubrey. "I'm Chloe, by the way. And I know you, neighbor. But you never come to the floor parities."

Aubrey shrugs. "I'm busy. You know, actually doing the reading."

"All work and no play makes Aubrey a dull girl." Chloe tells her seriously. "You have to do something for fun."

Aubrey is spared having to come up with an answer by the professor, who comes walking into class five minutes late. Aubrey takes out her notebook and flips open to a fresh page, pointedly ignoring Chloe and Chloe's attempts to engage in a side conversation. Aubrey quickly makes the decision to find a seat far away from Chloe next time because the girl seriously cannot sit still. She taps her foot and chews on her pen and doodles and basically does everything but sit still and pay attention.

When class is finally over, Aubrey couldn't be more relieved. She's never felt more unfocused in her life and she's going to have to double check her notes just to make sure that they make sense.

Chloe throws her book and pen into her brightly colored bag. "Wanna go to the Commons for lunch?" She asks cheerfully. "I'm starving."

"I have another class." Aubrey says. She doesn't know why she's a little bit relieved to have an excuse. "Sorry."

Chloe shrugs, watching Aubrey carefully pack everything into her backpack. "We should get together and do the reading." She suggests. "We can read out loud and you can help me follow the story."

Aubrey considers her proposition. She's never been the type to join a study group or work together with a classmate unless it was required by the assignment. Sitting beside Chloe for ninety minutes also hasn't made her want to spend any more time with her, especially not when she's got to focus. But, on the other hand, she's a little tired of feeling lonely. "Maybe." Aubrey hedges.

Grinning, Chloe follows her out of class. "It'll be easy because we live right across the hall." She tells the blonde. "I'll come by tonight. Your place is okay, right? My roommate is super creepy."

"Uh…sure." Aubrey doesn't remember agreeing to these study sessions but Chloe doesn't seem like the type to take no for an answer.

"Great!" Chloe smiles. "See you later Bree."

"It's Aubrey." But Chloe is already gone, swallowed up by the crush of students heading to and from class.

It's an absolutely gorgeous fall day, the kind that makes Aubrey happy to be in the South and she's sure that many of her fellow students will be skipping class in favor of lounging around on the quad or leaving campus to wander around the city. Aubrey has never skipped class a day in her life and she's definitely not going to start now, even if she can see the appeal of being outside. Maybe she'll have time later to take _Dracula _outside and read instead of sitting in a library cubicle.

Aubrey's classes are done by five pm sharp on Mondays and Wednesdays and her stomach is always rumbling impatiently, reminding her that she never stops long enough to grab anything more substantial than yogurt while she's moving from one class to the other. She goes by the deli in the student center and grabs a sandwich to go, tucking it into her bag as she hikes across campus to Windsor Hall.

Aubrey's not surprised to find that her dorm is empty. Her roommate, Mollie, is a sorority girl. Her entire life basically consists of going to mixers and hanging out with the other sororities and fraternities and Aubrey can count the number of times she's actually spent time in her dorm with Mollie on one hand. But Mollie is nice enough and respectful of Aubrey's studying habits; she never comes in with her friends or blasts music or tries to get Aubrey to talk while she's trying to study. She just never comes in at all. Aubrey's pretty sure Mollie wishes she was already living in the Delta Gamma Nu sorority house.

It takes Aubrey a few minutes to unpack her bag and change out of her clothes and into sweats and a tank top but once she has everything arranged exactly how she wants it, she feels ready to tackle the night's assignments. Even though she doesn't have class again until Wednesday, she doesn't like to let anything linger.

Aubrey is in the middle of her sandwich and highlighting a paragraph about covalent bonds when there's a knock on the door. The door swings open before Aubrey can even swallow her bite of sandwich and Chloe comes waltzing into the room, smiling brightly. "Hey study buddy. You're not starting without me are you?" She questions, looking at the books spread out on Aubrey's bed. She spots the other half of the sandwich and practically salivates. "Oh, awesome. I'm starving." She grabs the sandwich, taking a bite.

For a minute, Aubrey is so surprised that she just stares at the redhead, completely floored. She has an older brother, so she's never had to suffer through dealing with a kid-sibling but even if she'd had a younger sibling to contend with, that sort of behavior would definitely not be tolerated in the Posen household. Then again, Chloe's vivacious personality and unabashed friendliness would not be tolerated either.

Chloe grabs Mollie's desk chair and drags it toward Aubrey's bed. "You are a lifesaver, seriously." She continues to wolf down the sandwich. "So, _Dracula_, right? What's this book about?"

Aubrey sits up, shutting her chemistry textbook and studying the redhead. "Have you read any of it?" It seems like going along with Chloe is better than trying to fight her.

Chloe scrunches up her nose. "Well…not yet…"

Aubrey rolls her eyes but there's a little smile on her face. "You know we have to write a paper."

"I was going to read the SparkNotes!" Chloe says defensively. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I do like to read. I just…don't like boring books."

"This one isn't so bad." Aubrey admits, albeit a bit grudgingly because, as horrible as it sounds, she's not really much a reader. Not of fiction anyway. Her parents never put much of an emphasis on reading for fun; there was no merit in bedtime stories or beach reads. She's pretty sure she's never read something that wasn't assigned by a teacher.

Chloe gives her a doubtful look. "You think?"

"Well, _you've_ never read it." Aubrey points out. "How would you know?"

Chloe smiles and Aubrey finds herself smiling back a little, because her grin is a little infectious. "Touché." She leaves her chair and joins Aubrey on her twin bed, leaning against the wall and sitting cross-legged. "So, tell me about it." She gives Aubrey an expectant look, like a little kid waiting for a bedtime story.

Aubrey hesitates for a moment before relenting to Chloe's request. Rehashing the first ten chapters of the story isn't going to get her ahead in the reading. It's not going to help her study for her chemistry midterm or make it easier to memorize dates in European history. But it's not really so bad. Chloe interrupts occasionally to ask questions but for the most part, the redhead watches Aubrey silently, drawn into the picture that she's painting of the Victorian novel. "You should really just teach the class." Chloe tells her once Aubrey finishes summarizing the book so far. "I would totally pay attention."

"I just…I was just talking about the book." Aubrey says, feeling her cheeks get pink and not really knowing why.

Chloe shrugs. "Yeah, but you made it interesting." She picks up the book and runs her fingers through the pages. "This is not interesting. I'm just not going to read it and you tell me everything and we'll write the paper today and then when we have to read another book, you can tell me about that too."

Aubrey laughs softly. "How are you going to learn?" She arches an eyebrow.

Chloe waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, who cares if I know the plot of _Dracula _and what his castle represents. I'm going to be a singer anyway." She shrugs.

"Yeah but that's not a solid career path." Aubrey points out. "You can't just bank on becoming a singer. You need a practical plan."

"Says who?" Chloe questions, matching Aubrey's previous arched eyebrow expression. "Being a singer _is_ my practical plan. It's part of why I came to Barden; they have a great music program."

Aubrey looks down at her pile of textbooks and notebooks in order to keep from restating her earlier comment about the likelihood that Chloe will find success being a singer. She can't help but hear her father's voice in her head, shooting down any type of profession that didn't involve law or medicine or business. Having Chloe around really isn't so bad and she doesn't want to chase the redhead away so soon. "Yeah. Maybe." She mutters.

"What are you studying?" Chloe asks, shifting her position so that her legs are pulled up to chest and she rests her chin on her knees. "Let me guess. English."

Aubrey laughs. "No, definitely not. Law, I guess."

Chloe raises an eyebrow. "You guess?"

"I'll go to law school once I graduate." Aubrey says, parroting the plan she told her parents when she was trying to convince them that going to Barden wasn't a horrible thing. She was really trying to make up for the fact that she didn't get into an Ivy League school. "My father is a lawyer."

"I could never do that, it sounds way too boring." Chloe remarks with a shrug. "But I guess the world needs lawyers so…I just can't wait to get this English class out of the way so I don't have to take anymore."

Aubrey nods her agreement. "It will be nice to move onto something more practical."

"Yeah, but being practical all the time isn't always fun either." Chloe points out. "Aren't you taking any classes just for fun?"

"No." Aubrey says vehemently, like the very idea is way too distressing to consider. "What would be the point in that?"

"Fun." Chloe repeats slowly, like she's trying to help Aubrey grasp a foreign concept. "You know, finding something you enjoy."

Aubrey shrugs. "I just want to graduate on time and make the Dean's List." Then maybe she can make her father proud of her.

Chloe tilts her head to the side slightly, like she's trying to figure out something that isn't quite matching up. Aubrey has seen people give her that look before, mainly right before they decide that she's a wet blanket who takes everything way too seriously and isn't worth hanging out with. But who needs friends in high school? She was there for the education, to get to college and then to law school. She figures that there's nothing wrong with keeping that same mantra through her time at Barden.

"Well, that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun in the meantime." Chloe says decisively. She slips off Aubrey's bed and holds her hand out to the blonde. "Come on. I'm still starving. Let's go get ice cream. Take a break from all this studying."

"What studying?" Aubrey questions. "We talked about the book for like twenty minutes."

Chloe gives her a look. "That's _plenty _of time." She says emphatically. "I feel educated. Come on. Ice cream." She makes a _stand up_ gesture, giving Aubrey an impatient look.

Aubrey hesitates for a minute before putting her hand in Chloe's and letting herself be pulled upright. A break might not be such a bad idea.

* * *

Aubrey's not at all surprised Wednesday when Chloe comes to sit down beside her in class and her previous decree that she would try and sit as far away from the redhead as possible suddenly doesn't seem all that important. Chloe smiles at her like they're old friends and Aubrey can't help but smile back. Because, really, who could possibly resist?

Halfway through the lecture, Chloe taps on Aubrey's elbow and slides a folded up sheet of paper over to the blonde. Aubrey glances over at the professor, who is so involved in hearing himself speak that the rest of the class might not even be there at all, before unfolding the note. _Party at the Sigma house Friday. You're coming_. It's not a question. After only two days of knowing Chloe, this doesn't surprise Aubrey at all.

Aubrey gives Chloe an uncertain look and Chloe shakes her head firmly. _You're going_ she mouths. Aubrey pretends to be annoyed by the idea but there's a little part of her that's excited about the prospect of being dragged to this frat party. In the few months that she's been at Barden, she hasn't been to a single party and not just because of her constant studying. She didn't want to be the only person at the party that didn't know anyone. That problem will be solved if Chloe's forcing her to go.

Friday evening Chloe shows up at Aubrey's, opening the door without even bothering to knock. "Okay, I need you to help me pick out an outfit and I thought we could do our makeup together." Chloe says, giving Aubrey the once over. "I love that top. You look gorgeous."

Aubrey glances at herself in mirror on the closet door; she's wearing jeans and a polka-dotted blouse. It's nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, she'd considered herself underdressed (if it was even possible to be underdressed at a frat party). "Thanks."

They get ready crowded around the small mirror on Chloe's dresser and Chloe talks incessantly about some of the people she's met or something idiotic her professor said or about a conversation she had with her mom the week before. Aubrey listens without feeling pressured to chime in (which is good, because she's not exactly in the mood to talk about her family), letting Chloe do her makeup and style her hair.

At the frat house, there's so many people packed inside and in the back yard that Aubrey can't help but suspect that the entire Barden population must be attending the party. The music is insanely loud and there's a game of beer pong going on in the kitchen and so many people lounging around on the deck out back that it looks like it's seconds away from collapsing. Chloe grabs her wrist and pulls her through the crush of people toward the keg set up in the corner of the living room. Several people wave at Chloe from across the room or come over to try and have a conversation and Aubrey just hangs back, tapping her fingers against the side of her red Solo cup and trying to adjust to the sheer amount of noise and energy around her.

Aubrey starts to feel a little more relaxed after her first beer and can't help but think that this whole party atmosphere really isn't so bad after all. Chloe gets dragged off to the makeshift dance floor by some guy named Tom and Aubrey strikes up a conversation with a few of the people from her French class and somehow ends up with another beer, which doesn't taste quite as bad as the first one. Chloe eventually makes her way back over to where Aubrey is standing and her cheeks are flushed red and her hair is frizzy and tangled and Aubrey has the feeling that she's had more than a few drinks. "I need some fresh air." She grabs Aubrey's hands. "Walk with me."

Fall is steadily creeping toward winter, something that is more evident after the sun has gone down and Aubrey soon finds herself shivering in the chilly air. She's sweaty from being packed into such a small space with so many people, which only makes her all the more chilly now that she's outside. Some guys are trying to start a bonfire, which strikes her as both a really bad and a really great idea.

Chloe grins at her once they're outside. "I'm having such a great time. Are you having fun?" Aubrey nods and Chloe's smile grows wider. "I'm so glad you came." She hugs the blonde, giving her hands a squeeze. "Isn't this fun?"

They stay for a while longer and have a few more drinks and finally decide it's time to leave when the president of the Sigma Kappa Delta fraternity shoves the president of the Beta Delta fraternity through the kitchen window. Aubrey is feeling light headed and just a tiny bit sick by the time they get back to their dorm and it's a relief when she finally sits down on the edge of her bed. "I don't feel too good." She groans.

"Yeah, I'm probably going to be hung over in the morning but," Chloe shrugs, "oh well."

Chloe goes across the hall to change into PJs but quickly comes hurrying back to Aubrey's room. "My roommate has her weird creepy boyfriend over. Can I stay with you tonight? I'm really not in the mood to hear them having sex."

Aubrey makes a face. "Uh, sure. I'm sure Mollie won't mind." She can't remember the last time Mollie even spent the night here.

They both sit on Aubrey's bed and talk about the party and share a bottle of water and both fall asleep before Chloe can make the transition to Mollie's bed. In the morning, Aubrey wakes up and hurries straight down the hall to the bathroom, where she quickly discovers how horrible it is to throw up while kneeling on the floor of the communal bathroom. Chloe looks just as miserable as Aubrey feels and Aubrey is pretty sure that she's never spent an entire day in bed before. Even when she was sick as a kid her parents encouraged her to do stuff around the house because apparently keeping busy would help her feel better. She and Chloe watch movies on her laptop, shoulder to shoulder and Aubrey doesn't mind that this is the first Saturday that she hasn't spent in the library studying or catching up on class readings.

Sunday night, Aubrey is in the middle of color coding her notes for her chemistry midterm when the door opens and Chloe comes walking in. She holds up her copy of _Dracula _but before Aubrey can say anything the redhead says, "Okay, so I thought I'd give reading this book a try since you said it wasn't so bad but I'm more than a little freaked out. I'm pretty sure that my roommate is a vampire. It all makes perfect sense now."

Aubrey raises her eyebrows. "Uh…Chloe…there's no such thing as vampires."

"See, that's what I thought too. But then I started reading this book and I started thinking about vampires so I looked them up on the Internet and my roommate is definitely a vampire. I've never seen her go outside during the day, I've never seen her eat anything or wear anything that isn't black."

"That doesn't make her vampire." Aubrey points out. "She's probably just expressing her individuality." That's the phrase her mother always used whenever they saw girls who didn't like the idea of minimalist makeup or bright colors.

Chloe shakes her head, sitting down on Aubrey's bed. "Vampire." She says. "When she drinks my blood one night, you're going to wish you listened to me."

Aubrey laughs and rolls her eyes. "If you say so." She closes her chemistry notebook and reaches for her copy of _Dracula_. "So did you actually do any of the reading?"

"No! I was too busy looking up vampires!"

In spite of Aubrey's best efforts to talk Chloe out of it, the redhead continues to harbor suspicions that her roommate is secretly a vampire. Over the course of the next few weeks, Aubrey meets the girl only once and while her impression of Maggie isn't exactly favorable, she's still not convinced that the girl is a vampire. Mostly because, you know, there's no such thing as vampires.

By the end of October, Aubrey never wants to think about or discuss another vampire. After writing her own essay about _Dracula _and helping Chloe slog through hers, she's at her capacity for vampires. They start reading _Wuthering Heights_, so her mini book club meetings with Chloe continue.

Not that they need the excuse of the class to hang out anymore. They see each other on a daily basis and even though Aubrey doesn't know why Chloe decided that the person she wanted for her confidant was a shy and serious blonde, Aubrey's glad that she did.

* * *

The first weekend of November is Parents' Weekend and even though Aubrey sent the information to her parents two months before, she knows they're not going to show up. If she was at Harvard or Yale or Brown then she knows that her parents would arrive bright and early Saturday morning to rub elbows with the other elite parents and their academically inclined children. But what's the point in letting people know that they have a daughter at Barden? There's nothing prestigious about that school, so there's no point in spreading it around.

Aubrey smiles and shakes hands with Mollie's parents when they drop by the dorm for a visit but, thankfully, they don't stay long. She puts on her headphones and gets into bed, trying to lose herself in the story of Cathy and Heathcliff and not think about the fact that even though she's got straight A's in her classes and has been receiving nothing but praise from her professors, she still can't make her parents proud.

Sometime later, there's a knock on the door, which swings open before Aubrey can even pull her ear-buds out. Chloe sticks her head in, a tentative smile on her face; the smile quickly turns into a frown when she sees Aubrey is alone. "Where are your parents? Are they stuck in traffic?"

"Oh, uh…" Aubrey looks anywhere but at Chloe, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She doesn't want her one and only friend to know that she's so much of a disappointment that her own parents can't stand to be around her. "They had to work so…"

Chloe's brow furrows and for the first time in their (albeit short) friendship, she actually looks sad. "What? They couldn't take time off for Parents Weekend?"

"No." Aubrey snaps. "Their jobs are a little more important than Parents Weekend."

"Okay." Chloe holds up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Well, I just wanted to introduce you to my parents before we went to lunch." She pushes the door open and gestures for her parents to come crowding into the room. "This is the girl I was telling you about." She tells her Mom with a smile. "Aubrey, these are my parents."

Aubrey wonders how she came up in Chloe's conversations with her family and when she goes to shake Clint and Lucy Beale's hands, they pull her in for hugs instead. "Chloe talks about you nonstop." Lucy tells her. "It's always 'Aubrey this' and 'Aubrey that.' It's great to finally get to meet you."

"It sounds like we should be thanking you for keeping Chloe on track." Clint adds. "She says you've really been helping her with her studies."

Aubrey feels a pleasant blush creep across her cheeks. "Uh…well…I don't think so…"

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right. You practically wrote my entire paper." She gives her parents a guilty look. Her expression brightens and she turns back toward Aubrey. "You should come to lunch with us." She reaches out to grab Aubrey's hand. "We're going to this new restaurant in Atlanta. And you're coming."

Aubrey tries to politely decline but the Beales, much like their daughter, apparently aren't very good at taking no for an answer. Aubrey can't help but pretend like they're her parents. They're the type of parents who care about Parents Weekend and talk to their daughter on the phone at least once a week and believe that Chloe should pursue a career in singing because it makes her happy. Lucy and Clint seem impressed by her straight A's and plans to become a lawyer and Chloe doesn't seem to mind when Aubrey spends almost twenty minutes telling them about how her government professor said he saw a bright career ahead of her. Aubrey had tried to tell this same story to her father but he'd cut her off halfway through to take a call from a partner at his firm. It's nice to feel like someone cares, even if Lucy and Clint are just politely faking interest (which they very well might be doing, not that it matters to her).

It's early evening by the time that the Beales drop Chloe and Aubrey back off in front of their dorm and head off to their hotel room for the night. "You can come with us tomorrow, if you want." Chloe says as she and Aubrey take the elevator to their floor. "We're going to the Aquarium tomorrow. If your parents are still working."

Aubrey purses her lips, glancing down at her feet. "My parents aren't working." She says softly.

"Oh, that's great." Chloe smiles at her. "At least they can come for a little while."

"I mean they're not working but they're not coming either." Aubrey bites out, a little harsher than she intends. "They're not coming to Parents Weekend because they're ashamed of me. They don't give a shit how I'm doing in school."

If this information surprises Chloe, she doesn't show it. In fact, Aubrey wouldn't be surprised if Chloe had known all along that her family situation wasn't ideal and she just never wanted to talk about it. She might not have known Chloe for long but Aubrey figures that she's that type of person anyway; the type who talks about herself endlessly so Aubrey doesn't feel like the silences are hers to fill or the type that invites her to parties and family dinners and makes her feel like she's supposed to have been there all along.

Chloe reaches out and takes Aubrey's hand. The elevator has reached their floor but neither of them make the move to leave the cap and the doors eventually slide shut again, the elevator waiting patiently to be called into service. "It's okay." Chloe says this simply, like the world is uncomplicated and the simplest advice always works.

"No, it's not okay." Aubrey snaps, pulling her hand away from Chloe's. "I'm a disappointment. My father can't stand to talk to me because I've disappointed him so much. I never should have come here. This was all just-"

Aubrey stops talking abruptly, pressing her hand to her mouth. She's going to be sick, which is unfortunately an all too familiar feeling. She barely has the time to hit the button to open the doors again and make it to the floor bathroom before she's once again on her knees in front of the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach. This time she has tears in her eyes because she's ashamed that she let herself get to this point, ashamed that even when she's miles away at Barden her father still has the ability to make her hate herself so much that it physically makes her sick. And she's ashamed that Chloe had to see it all.

It takes Aubrey a few minutes to realize that she's not alone on the floor of the dirty and disgusting community bathroom. Has she mentioned how much she hates sharing a bathroom with almost two dozen other people? But that's really beside the point right now.

Chloe is kneeling next to her, rubbing circles on Aubrey's back. For some reason, this only makes Aubrey cry even harder and when Chloe puts her arms around her shoulders, she presses her face against Chloe's collarbone and cries like she's wanted to since she sent in her acceptance letter to Barden. She was always too afraid to cry at home, for fear that her mother or father would overhear and once she was at Barden, it seemed useless to cry over something she had wanted. Chloe just pats her back with one hand and strokes her hair with the other, whispering soothing sounds into her ear as she cries.

Finally, Aubrey comes to her senses and sits up, trying to pull herself together. What would her father say if he knew she was bawling on some dirty bathroom floor? She wipes at the tears on her cheeks and under her eyes and sniffs, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Chloe questions, looking at her curiously.

"Because I'm a wreck. Crying on the bathroom floor. It's embarrassing." Aubrey shakes her head, getting to her feet.

Chloe stands up as well. "It's not embarrassing to cry if you're upset about something." She points out. "I was just crying to you a few days ago, remember?" Aubrey mutters something that sounds suspiciously like _that's different_. "That's what I'm here for Bree. You shouldn't keep all that inside."

"My dad says that tears are your body's way of getting rid of pride." Aubrey informs Chloe frankly.

While Chloe finds this to be one of the strangest and dumbest pieces of advice she's ever heard, she manages not to say anything. "Why don't you wash your face and then come over to my room? We can get into PJs and watch a movie."

Aubrey does as Chloe suggests and they both climb into Chloe's bed and curl up under the quilt that her grandmother made for her when she was born and Chloe puts on _The Rescuers Down Under_ ("The most unappreciated of all Disney movies."). Later, when the lights are out and the movie is over, Chloe questions, "Why did you come to Barden?" The bed is so small that there's hardly an inch of space between them, but Aubrey has felt far away all night.

"I wanted to do something for myself." Aubrey says softly into the darkness of Chloe's room. She feels so unbelievably tired and even though the bed definitely isn't built for two she feels so unbelievably comfortable pressed against Chloe. "I wanted to make a decision for myself for once."

Chloe laces their fingers together underneath the quilt. "I'm glad you did." She says softly. She gives Aubrey's hand a squeeze and after a beat of silence she adds, "You're my best friend."

Aubrey doesn't say anything but she feels Chloe's words warm her from the inside out. She's never been anyone's friend before. And even though she doesn't speak the words, she's sure that Chloe knows them anyway: _you're mine too_.

* * *

Fall term finally comes to an end and Aubrey gets straight A's and a recommendation from her government professor that she sign up for his Analyzing the Constitution class. Even though Aubrey can think of several things that she'd rather do, she signs up for the class because it sounds like the type of class her dad would find respectful. Chloe clicks her tongue when she looks at Aubrey's schedule. "Where are your fun classes?" She questions, looking at the blonde. "I'm taking pottery."

"I don't have time for fun classes." Aubrey informs her frankly. "Why would I need to take pottery?"

"Fun." Chloe repeats. She waves her hand dismissively. "But you don't know anything about that." She teases.

Aubrey wrinkles her nose and gives Chloe a look. "I don't have time for fun."

At least, not when it comes to academics. On the last day before the semester is officially over, she and Chloe go to another frat party at another frat house and drink too much and play Flip Cup and sometime past midnight she lets Chloe do a body shot off her chest in front of a kitchen full of cheering frat guys. Sometime way past midnight they finally stumble back to Aubrey's dorm, laughing and slumped against each other. Mollie has already left, so there's no harm in waking her up as they come stumbling into the room.

Aubrey laughs and flops backward onto her bed, kicking off her shoes and letting out a heavy sigh of contentment. "We need to do that more often. I'm good at Flip Cup." She laughs.

Chloe grins and lays down beside her. "Yeah, I think you've found your calling." She props herself up on one elbow. "You have such a great laugh. You should laugh more often."

"What are you talking about? I laugh." Aubrey gives Chloe a quizzical look, which only makes her redheaded friend look blurry.

"Yeah but it's nice to hear you really laugh. Like you're not worried about anything." Chloe tells her. "You shouldn't worry so much."

Aubrey rolls onto her side so that she and Chloe are facing each other. "You don't know my dad." If she wasn't drunk, she wouldn't be talking about this. She doesn't like to talk about her family; complaining is just how you let the world know you're not good enough. Another gem from her father.

Chloe hitches a shoulder in a half shrug. "Are you going to let him control the rest of your life?" She arches an eyebrow.

Aubrey looks at Chloe. "Probably." She says softly.

"Sounds lonely." Chloe says, reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind Aubrey's ear. "Why?"

"He hasn't talked to me since May." Aubrey tells her. "Neither has my mother. My brother has sent me a few e-mails but he'd stop if my dad found out. I'm surprised they're letting me come home tomorrow."

Chloe closes her eyes and sighs. She trails her fingers lightly across Aubrey's cheek and the curve of her jaw before resting her hand against her shoulder. When she opens her eyes again, they're wet with tears. If she wasn't drunk, she'd probably be able to reign her emotions in better, the way she normally does on the rare occasions when Aubrey talks about her family. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you crying?" Aubrey questions, her tone slightly incredulously. Chloe is definitely an emotional person, she's learned this over the past few months. But that doesn't mean that she's used to seeing her friend upset.

"Your family makes me so mad." Chloe confesses. "You deserve so much better."

Aubrey looks at Chloe and can't help but think (albeit not for the first time) how beautiful her friend really is. And not just because of her fiery ringlets or vibrant smile, but because of how much she truly cares for everyone. Aubrey's pretty sure she's never known someone with so much compassion. "Well…I have you."

Chloe smiles, brightening her whole face. "Yes, you do." She leans in and kisses Aubrey on the corner of her mouth; the kiss is chaste and brief but for some reason it makes Aubrey's whole body spark. "I love you Bree." Aubrey just nods because her mouth has suddenly gone dry.

They fall asleep like that: face to face with Chloe's hand still on Aubrey's shoulder and wake up way too early when Aubrey's brother calls to let her know that he's on his way to pick her up. Chloe's parents are on their way too and even though it's only two weeks until spring semester starts, it feels like a long time. Chloe hugs Aubrey tightly before she goes downstairs to meet her parents. "I wish you were coming with me." She tells the blonde. "What am I going to do without you?"

Aubrey smiles and shrugs, giving Chloe a reassuring look. "I'm sure you'll manage."

She and her brother, Brad, don't talk much during the drive back to the Posen household. Aubrey just listens to her brother's Pink Floyd CD as she stares out the window, watching the scenery pass her by. Brad had been the one to take her to Barden in the first place since her parents couldn't be bothered and the drive back in August felt a lot like this one.

Her father is still at the office and her mother is at some sort of Christmas banquet with her friends so Aubrey goes straight to her childhood room and waits for her surroundings to make her feel at home. She looks at the trophies and awards and recognitions that she's earned throughout the years and she hopes in a few months she'll be able to add a certificate from the Dean's List to her collection. Even her father would have to admit that that was impressive.

Each day in the Posen household passes in much the same way; Marc Posen abhors the idea of sleeping late and can't stand the idea of letting anyone in his house sleep past seven either. So Aubrey's up at six thirty sharp, going for a jog in spite of the sharp chill in the air and once she's showered and dressed and ready for the day she tries to make sure that she fills her time doing things that let her father know she's not just using this vacation to sit around. The only leisure activity she indulges in is talking to Chloe; sometimes they talk on the phone or text back and forth all day and sometimes they chat online. Talking to Chloe is the only thing that Aubrey does that she genuinely enjoys and even though she knows that Chloe is busy with family obligations, she's relieved that her friend is making time to chat. Without Chloe, her human interactions would be pretty limited. Conversation around the Posen dinner table is stilted, at best, and Aubrey is pretty sure that her father has said five words to her since her arrival and maybe one of them was congenial.

For Christmas she gets a diamond tennis bracelet and a book on studying for the LSAT because "it's never too early to start" according to Marc and "you don't want to have to take it more than once." Aubrey's a little relieved to have the huge tome because now she has something to do other than jog around the neighborhood and wait until it's time to go back to Barden.

On the night before Aubrey is set to head back to her dorm, Marc calls her into his office. He holds up the transcript of her grades that she printed out and left on his desk two weeks ago. "Straight A's I see." He remarks. He doesn't sound proud of her or impressed; he's just making a statement. "Make sure you don't let any distractions get in your way. You don't want to apply to law school with anything less than A's on your transcript. Especially since you went to a school like Barden."

"Yes, sir." Aubrey decides that that's as close to a compliment as she's going to get from her father.

When she gets back to Barden, she's one of the first to arrive and the floor is empty and quiet. Aubrey unpacks her things and drops her LSAT study book onto her desk, where she plans to make time to study it in between studying for her classes. It's nearly lunch time and her stomach is starting to rumble. Aubrey's in the middle of texting Chloe to see if the redhead is going to be on campus in time to go down to the Commons for lunch when the door swings open and Chloe comes flouncing inside like it's her room too.

"Good, I'm glad you're already here. It's so lonely with everyone still gone." Chloe says, making herself at home on Aubrey's bed. "So how was your Christmas? What did you get? My parents got me a whole bunch of really cute clothes but it is way too cold to wear any of them right now and one of my little brothers made me this cute clay cat in his art class and I'll have to show it to you."

Listening to Chloe sit here, talking a mile a minute, makes Aubrey feel way more at home than she'd felt during the past two weeks. Even though they'd talked everyday over break, it seems like Chloe still has plenty to say. Aubrey can't help but smile, watching Chloe and her elaborate hand gestures as she tells some story about what happened when her entire family piled into one car to go drive through the Lights of Life. Aubrey might still have her regrets about going to Barden, but it's hard to remember what they are in moments like this.

* * *

Over the next several weeks, Aubrey manages to find the time to devote to her classes, studying for the LSAT and spending time with Chloe. She has to cut out the extra time that she used to spend in the library, redoing the reading or going over her notes once again, but she finds that she really doesn't miss that time all that much. Her classes are a little dry but not difficult and now she doesn't have to read a ton of useless novels that she's not going to talk about again in her life. Chloe is taking the most random assortment of classes that Aubrey can possibly think of, including pottery, which the redhead seems to enjoy immensely. By the end of February, she's got a ton of little pots, cups and animals on her desk and has even given some to Aubrey as well. Aubrey has the little dog that Chloe made sitting on her bedside table, right next to her LSAT book; it makes having to read through the book a little more bearable.

Aubrey might not enjoy her classes all that much, but she's still doing well in them and by midterm, she has all A's and one B. Stupid Analyzing the Constitution class. It doesn't matter to her father that she's one of only four students in the class to even have a B (and there are definitely no A's. If there were, then one of them would belong to Aubrey Posen); all he sees as that that B is not an A. "You're letting yourself get distracted, Aubrey." He chides. "Are you spending your time studying?"

"Yes, sir." Aubrey assures him. "Every Monday and Wednesday, Chloe and I go to-"

"Chloe." Marc interrupts. "Is she your roommate?"

For some reason, Aubrey feels a dread begin to pool in the pit of her stomach. It's not like she expects something horrible to happen now that her father knows about her friendship with Chloe; Marc has always been an intimidating and imposing figure in Aubrey's life and was part of the reason that she never had many friends throughout her childhood. He wasn't friendly or welcoming to any of the kids who ever asked her to play or come to their birthday parties and when she was in high school he never gave her permission to go out on the weekends, so the other girls at school eventually stopped asking. But it's not like Aubrey expects Marc to somehow chase Chloe away too. But still, there was a part of her that liked keeping Chloe to herself. "No, sir. She's my friend."

Marc makes a sound of disapproval. "You don't need friends, Aubrey. You need straight A's, you need to study for your LSAT so you get accepted into Harvard as soon as you graduate. You can graduate early if you start taking summer classes and stop messing around and actually take school seriously. Friends aren't going to help you succeed."

Aubrey sighs. "I understand, sir. But Chloe is my-"

"You know what happens when you have friends?" Marc continues on. "They distract you. Friends are the reason you don't have straight A's anymore Aubrey. Your grades are disappointing."

Aubrey closes her eyes and feels that feeling of dread in her stomach slowly start turning into a wave of nausea. "Yes, sir." She says softly, her stomach rolling.

Marc hangs up soon after and Aubrey takes a little bottle of water from the mini-fridge Mollie dragged into their room on that first day and then subsequently never used and then heads across the hall to Chloe's room. She knocks lightly on the door, pushing it open when Chloe calls for her to come in.

Chloe takes one look at Aubrey's face and clicks off the episode of _Grey's Anatomy _that she had been watching. "What's the matter, Bree?"

Aubrey used to abhor that nickname. People tried to stick her with it all the time growing up and it made her crazy. _My name is Aubrey_ she'd snapped back. Her father had picked out her name, after all; if it was good enough for him, then it was good enough for her. But she doesn't mind when Chloe uses it; it sounds like a term of endearment, a secret.

Aubrey shakes her head and climbs into bed beside Chloe. The redhead slips her arms around her easily, tucking Aubrey against her side. "My dad thinks that I'm letting myself be distracted." The blonde says after a moment. "'You don't need friends Aubrey, you need grades.'" She mimics her father's deep and stern voice.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Your dad is such a dick." Aubrey stiffens slightly. "I'm sorry, but it's true. I know he's your dad and all but he is a huge asshole to you."

Aubrey feels a smile spread across her face. "You're right. He is a dick." She smiles wider and looks at Chloe. "I've never actually said that out loud before."

Chloe smiles back at her. "You rebel." She rests her head against Aubrey's shoulder. "You can say it around me anytime."

Aubrey tilts her head so that her cheek is resting against the crown of Chloe's head. "Thanks." She says softly. "For everything."

"Of course." Chloe slips her fingers through Aubrey's. "That's what friends are for. Also friends watch _Grey's Anatomy _with you."

Aubrey groans and rolls her eyes but she doesn't protest or try to move when Chloe drags her laptop back onto her lap and starts the episode up again. She might not care about the doctors at Seattle Grace but she's seen plenty of episodes thanks to Chloe and her obsession. It's hard to argue when marathoning episodes involves cuddling close with Chloe and forgetting about studying and school and her dad's expectations. Sometimes, Aubrey thinks that the doctors on the show have it easy; they've never met Marc Posen.

* * *

Chloe doesn't make a habit of being on time to things. She always starts off with the best of intentions but she always gets distracted by something on the computer or ends up forgetting something at her dorm and has to turn around and go back. Aubrey has told her time and time again that she just needs to plan on leaving ten minutes earlier than she actually needs to leave to make it on time and then she wouldn't have to worry about being late. But Chloe always finds herself using those extra ten minutes to do something other than walk out the door. Even her professors have stopped harping on her when she walks into class late.

So Chloe figures that Aubrey won't be surprised that she's running late to their pre-set Tuesday lunch date. She got caught up in finishing the clay pot she'd been working on in her pottery class and then she got distracted because some of the photography students were doing some sort of photo-shoot outside and now she's almost fifteen minutes late. Oh well. The food will still be there, right?

Chloe tries to rush across campus, but she loses her grip on the stack of binders, notebooks and textbooks in her hands and drops them all over the ground, which is such a Chloe Beale thing to do that she doesn't even bother to be embarrassed on her own behalf. She just kneels down and starts picking her stuff up, trying to stuff her papers into her notebooks and reign in her mess.

Two girls in high heels come clicking by but they don't offer to help Chloe or even bother to look at her. They step off to the right of the sidewalk and one of the girls, a sharp-faced brunette, pulls a cigarette out of her purse and lights it.

"Alice, you can't smoke." Her companion's eyes go wide. "What would Charlotte say?"

Alice blows out a stream of smoke. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Charlotte's such a bitch anyway."

"But she'll kick you out if she catches you damaging your vocal chords." The other girl protests. "You better put that out."

Rolling her eyes, Alice gives her friend a pointed look and takes a long drag on her cigarette. "She wouldn't dare. Two girls already quit because she's such a tyrant. I don't know how she expects to replace them before semi-finals. And manage to teach them the words and the choreography. Who would be stupid enough to commit to that? We might as well give up now; we can't compete without ten members."

Chloe stands up, studying the girls for the first time. They're dressed in skirts, blouses and heels with paisley scarves tied around their necks. It's the scarves that jog Chloe's memory. She saw the Barden Bellas handing out flyers during the activities fair back in August but they hadn't paid too much attention to an overly eager freshmen who asked about auditions. Apparently it wasn't common practice for the Bellas to accept freshman recruits.

"You guys are in the Bellas, right?" Chloe questions, walking over to the girls in spite of the frosty looks she's getting from the brunette. "Are you guys looking for singers?"

Alice gives her the once over. "We're looking for confident performers." She informs Chloe frankly. "So run along."

"I love to sing." Chloe insists, smiling brightly. "I'm planning to major in vocal performance."

Alice flicks a bit of ash in Chloe's direction. "Gee, it's our lucky day. Looks like you've solved all our problems." She deadpans.

But Chloe just nods, choosing not to let herself be baited by Alice's prickly demeanor. "You need two girls right? Well my friend and I both love to sing. I tried to audition for you guys in the fall but you don't take freshmen."

"There's a reason for that." Alice informs her.

Her friend is a little more kind. "Can you really sing?" She questions, arching an eyebrow. Chloe nods. "Can you match pitch? And read music? Can you dance?"

Chloe nods once again. "Yeah, I can do all of those things. So can my friend. You should just give us a chance."

"And where is this mysterious friend of yours who's just dying to join the Barden Bellas?" Alice questions, arching an eyebrow.

Chloe figures there's no point in telling Alice that Aubrey's not exactly waiting around, praying to get invited to join the college's only all female acapella group. In fact, she's only ever heard Aubrey sing along with the radio, so she's not even sure if her friend has an interest in performing but she's pretty sure she can convince Aubrey to tag along. "We can audition for you."

Alice starts to offer up some snarky remark but the other girl interrupts. "You know the Bagwell Theatre?" Chloe nods. "Come to performance space three at six o'clock tonight. I'll introduce you to Charlotte; she's our captain."

Chloe grins and manages to suppress her squeal of excitement. But just barely. "Okay. We'll see you there."

A little part of Chloe had figured that Aubrey would be less than enthusiastic to hear about the Bellas and the auditions that she'd been signed up for and Chloe's not disappointed. "I can't do that." Aubrey protests. "I don't have time. I have to study, I have to get straight A's. Plus there's the LSAT and-"

"Which isn't for three more years." Chloe interrupts. "Come on, Bree, _please_." She grabs her friend's hands. "It'll be fun. The Barden Bellas are a big deal. Plus I know you like to dance; you told me how much you loved taking ballet lessons."

"I've never sang in front of someone before." Aubrey continues to argue. "I don't _like_ singing in front of people. Plus it's a huge waste of time."

Chloe shakes her head. "No it's not! It'll be fun. And it's something we can do together. Please, _please_." She gives the blonde a pouty look. "I really want to join the Bellas; it's part of why I came here."

Aubrey smiles at her friend. "I'll go for moral support. You'll do great and I promise I'll make time to come to all the shows and-"

But Chloe shakes her head. "They need two singers. And you have an amazing voice, Bree, I've heard you sing." She sticks her bottom lip out a little more in hopes of increasing the effectiveness of the pout. "And I want to do this with you. It won't be any fun without my best friend."

Aubrey sighs and runs her thumb along the ridge of Chloe's knuckles without thinking about it. Sometimes Chloe will fall asleep still holding her hand and Aubrey will trace meaningless shapes against her skin until she finally drifts off to sleep too.

"I guess." The blonde mumbles, even though she still can't help but think about how this is really not the type of thing she needs to be doing if she wants to make her father proud of her. If she doesn't at least go to the audition then she'll disappoint Chloe; if she joins the Bellas, she'll disappoint her father. At least she's used to disappointing him; she's not sure she likes the idea of letting Chloe down.

They show up at the performance space right on time and none of the Bellas look very happy to see them. Their captain, Charlotte, looks frazzled and ten seconds away from having a mental breakdown right next to the huge white board packed with song lyrics and titles and chorography and a countdown until semi-finals. Chloe knocks it out of the park (as far as Aubrey's concerned) with a song from _Wicked_ and, while Aubrey can tell that the Bellas are not as impressed with her Carrie Underwood impression, they still clap politely when it's over.

Charlotte sighs and pulls her hair back into a tight ponytail. "We don't normally accept freshmen recruits." She mutters. "But I think we're probably going to be screwed if we don't let you guys in. We only have three weeks until semi-finals. So, what the hell."

Alice puffs out her chest, looking more than a little annoyed but she doesn't actually protest Charlotte's words. She just glares at Chloe and Aubrey like they're personally responsible for everything that is wrong in her life.

They get started right away, learning the sounds and the steps and how to harmonize. Aubrey quickly decides that the soloists have it easy; it's providing the background harmonies that require the most work. She excels at learning the choreography whereas Chloe definitely shines when it comes to the vocal work. By the end of the night, Aubrey is too tired and sore to even consider getting a start on her government paper. At least it's not due until next week.

It quickly becomes clear that finding time for Bellas rehearsal and homework is not as easy as Chloe and Aubrey had previously believed. Charlotte instates rehearsal every night but Sunday, since they have so little time to prepare for semi-finals, so Aubrey starts on her homework as soon as her last class of the day is done and she doesn't stop until Chloe's knocking on the bedroom door and practically forcing her to change into sweats, hurrying to practice so they can go get yelled at by Charlotte and glared at by Alice. Aubrey can't figure out what Alice's deal is; she's a sophomore, new to the Bellas herself, but she seems to have made it her personal mission to make practices even more hellish for Chloe and Aubrey. Chloe is going for the whole kill her with kindness tactic but Aubrey just wants to stay out of her way. Alice reminds her a lot of her father and she's learned by this point that there's just no pleasing some people.

One night, while walking back to their dorm after practice, Chloe takes Aubrey's hand and bumps her shoulder lightly against the blonde's. "Thank you."

"For what?" Aubrey questions, looking at her friend quizzically.

"For joining the Bellas." Chloe replies. "I know that you didn't want to but I…I'm really glad that you did. Because I love it and I love that we're doing this together."

Aubrey smiles and bumps Chloe's shoulder with her own. "I'm having fun too." She admits. "Most of the time." She gives Chloe's hand a squeeze. "I'm glad you talked me into this."

The Bellas stop being fun right around the time that Aubrey tells her mother that she's partaking in recreational activities. Sometimes Aubrey lets herself forget that her mother is Marc's wife first and Aubrey's mother second; sometimes she slips and confides in Kim in hopes of invoking some sort of mother-daughter bond and actually forging a relationship with one of her parents. She tells her mother about joining the Bellas and even invites her to the upcoming show. "It's in Atlanta. So you don't have to even really travel."

Aubrey quickly learns that she should have just kept her mouth shut. Really, she brings most of her problems on herself. Because the following day, Marc is calling her and demanding to know what the hell is going on. "Your mother said something about some sort of singing group?" Marc questions and Aubrey can hear the barely controlled anger in his voice. "Aubrey, are you insane? What about your studying? You don't have time to be messing around with some sort of choir nonsense."

"It's not really a choir, sir." Aubrey says.

Which is, of course, her second mistake. "I don't care what it is!" Marc shouts at her. Aubrey winces and holds the phone away from her ear. "It is worthless. Every second you spend dancing and singing is a second you don't spend studying. You are wasting your time and wasting your potential. It's bad enough that I have to tell people that I have a daughter at Barden University. Now she's singing and dancing around like a fool too? Aubrey, I won't stand for this kind of nonsense. This is a joke."

Aubrey doesn't really know why she's surprised. It's not like she expected her father to suddenly change his tune and actually support her and something that _she_ wanted to do. She doesn't know why she even bothered mentioning it to her mother; did she _honestly_ think that Marc and Kim would bother to show up? She really is an idiot.

For the next several minutes, Marc proceeds to find new words to further insult his only daughter and the Barden Bellas and Aubrey heaves a sigh of relief when he finally ends the call. As much as she'd just like to hang up on him, no one gets off the phone before Marc Posen is ready. She feels like she's going to be sick. In fact… she barely manages to grab the little trashcan beside her bed in time to keep herself from throwing up on the dorm room floor. If Mollie ever came home, she wouldn't be very happy.

Aubrey holds her hair back with one hand, a practiced gesture, and closes her eyes and just waits for it all to be over. She feels too drained to tie up the bag and walk it down to the trash, so she just puts the trashcan by the door and climbs into bed. She knows that her father would be even more disappointed if he could see her now; the fact that their conversations often sent Aubrey to the bathroom disgusted Marc and reinforced his belief that his daughter was defective and a disappointment. But that only made things worse for Aubrey; unfortunately it's become an almost Pavlovian reaction. She figures that some people cry when they're upset or scream or break things. She throws up.

Aubrey stays curled up under her covers, unmoving even when her phone buzzes on the nightstand, signaling that she's just received a text message. It has to be from Chloe because no one else texts her. But Aubrey can't bring herself to read her friend's cheerful words or turn down Chloe's request that they hang out before Bellas' practice. The phone goes off several times throughout the day but Aubrey just ignores it, staying cocooned in her blankets.

Aubrey figured it was only a matter of time before Chloe just barged in to see what the heck was going on. Her brow knits when she sees the blonde laying in bed. "Bree, are you sick?" She questions, walking over to her friend and putting a hand on her forehead. "What's the matter?"

"I'm not sick." Aubrey mutters.

Chloe looks even more confused by doesn't say anything. She waits for Aubrey to elaborate but she, too, remains silent. Finally the redhead just sighs. "Well…okay. It's almost time for practice."

"I'm not going to practice."

"Why?" Chloe asks, pulling back the blankets a little so she can get a look at Aubrey's face. "Charlotte will have a hissy-fit."

Aubrey sighs and takes the covers from Chloe, pulling them back over her head. "I'm quitting the Bellas."

Chloe sits down on the edge of Aubrey's bed and grabs the covers, yanking them backward. "What? What are you talking about? Bree, talk to me. What's going on?"

Sighing, Aubrey pushes herself up into a sitting position. "I told my parents about the Bellas and semi-finals. My dad thinks I'm being an idiot and wasting my time. He's right, this is just a waste of time. I should be working on my school work, not learning dance steps."

"You don't really mean that." Chloe says. It's not a question; there's nothing but conviction in her tone. Aubrey won't meet the redhead's eyes. "You love the Bellas. I can tell. I've watched you at practice."

"It doesn't matter." Aubrey mumbles. "There are more important things for me to be doing."

Chloe rests a hand over Aubrey's. "You cannot let your father control you for the rest of your life." She says gently.

Aubrey looks down at her hands for a moment before finally meeting Chloe's gaze. "He's never going to be proud of me." Her words are barely above a whisper. "No matter what I do, it's never going to be enough. Nothing I can do will ever make him see me as anything but a disappointment."

"You're not a disappointment, Bree." Chloe assures her friend. " Screw your dad. You need to do what makes you happy."

Aubrey laughs softly and shakes her head. "I don't know how to do that." She looks at Chloe. "Isn't that pathetic? I've never done something just because it made me happy."

Chloe smiles at her. "Yes you have. You're here aren't you? And you joined the Bellas. You don't give yourself enough credit."

Aubrey leans forward and puts her arms around Chloe, hugging the redhead tightly. "Maybe you're right." She says softly.

Chloe puts her arms around the blonde. "I always am."

"What would I do without you?" Even though she hasn't even known Chloe for an entire year, it seems like she's always had the redhead in her life. Aubrey can't imagine not being able to talk to Chloe about her classes or listen to Chloe talk about her family or any nonsensical thing that happened to her that day. She also can't imagine not having moments like this one; Chloe is the only person she's ever talked to about her father and her family's expectations and while talking about it doesn't solve her problems, it actually makes her feel better.

"You'll never have to worry about that." Chloe says firmly. She presses a kiss against Aubrey's temple, giving her friend one final squeeze before moving away. "You know what will make you feel better?" She grins. "Going to practice so we don't get killed by Charlotte."

Aubrey rolls her eyes but there's the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "My father will be so disappointed if he doesn't get to kill me himself. Once he finds out I didn't quit."

Chloe grabs Aubrey's hand and pulls her out of bed. "He'll have to come through me first. I might look small but I'm wiry."

The mental image of Chloe standing up to Marc Posen is enough to make Aubrey break into a full on smile. If anyone could do it, it would be Chloe Beale.

* * *

They come in fourth at the semi-finals and Charlotte's boot-camp Bellas rehearsals abruptly come to an end. They still meet twice a week just to refresh on choreography and sing and run through a few of the exercises but it's much less formal and everyone seems to have more fun, after the initial disappointment wears off. In spite of the fact that Chloe and Aubrey were only Bellas at the end of the season, they're officially Bellas now and Chloe feels a thrill of joy every time she sees her yellow scarf sitting on her dresser. It hadn't been an exaggeration when she'd told Aubrey that one of the reasons she'd wanted to come to Barden was to join the Bellas and now that she has, she feels like she can officially consider her first year of college a success.

It's hard to believe that the year is almost over. Soon they'll be taking their finals and packing up their rooms and heading back home for three long months. Aubrey is already dreading having to face her parents everyday for three months. She still has a B in her Analyzing the Constitution class and if she doesn't manage to pull an A by the end of the semester than her father will be unbearable. She's looking at three months of not talking to anyone except for Chloe and going back to her waitressing job at the country club so she can afford to come back to Barden. Giving into her father's request and applying to the school he wants her to go to might take away some of that pressure and make her summer less torturous, but Aubrey can't imagine going anywhere but Barden in the fall.

The last two weeks before the end of the semester find Aubrey and Chloe both in the library, studying for finals or putting the finishing touches on their essays. Aubrey helps Chloe study for her Music Appreciation final (apparently appreciating music involves knowing the names and works of about a hundred major composers) and Chloe gamely reads over Aubrey's government essay and pretends to know what the hell her friend is talking about.

"We should live together next year." Chloe says, grabbing a handful of M&Ms out of the bag she smuggled into the library. She needs fuel to study, okay? "I hate my roommate and I don't want to get stuck with someone equally weird next year."

Aubrey looks up from her paper. "Really? You'd…you'd want to live with me?" Sure she and Chloe spend a lot of time together, but she'd never imagined that Chloe would actually want to share a space with her all of time. She's never been the type to build relationships with people; she's just not good at it. But she's closer to Chloe than anyone else in her life and she never wants that to change.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Of course, Bree. You're my best friend. I think it would be great."

Smiling, Aubrey nods. "Yeah, it would be great."

Chloe grins as well. "Then it's settled. Aubrey Posen and Chloe Beale: the unstoppable force. Next year is going to be amazing. We're going to be Bellas and roommates and we won't be freshmen anymore."

"Yeah, it is going to be amazing." Aubrey grins at the picture that Chloe's painting. A real college experience, with a real friend. For the first time in her life, Aubrey actually feels like she's doing something right.

She holds onto that perfect picture that Chloe has put into her head when she has to go home for the summer with four A's and one B on her final transcript. Home has never felt so unwelcoming before.

Aubrey thinks about unpacking the few boxes that she brought with her from Barden but what's the point? In a few short (ha) months, she's just going to be taking all that stuff back to school with her. She does unpack a few things, like some of her favorite outfits, her LSAT book and a few pictures that were taken over the course of the year. Her favorite is one of her and Chloe taken at one of the Bellas Friday night dinners; they're faces are pressed cheek to cheek and they're both still wearing their yellow scarves around their necks. Aubrey's grin is almost as big as Chloe's and she's pretty sure this is one of the only pictures of her where she has a genuine smile on her face.

Aubrey puts that picture on her nightstand, right next to the little clay dog that Chloe gave to her months before. It's not much, but it makes her room feel a little bit more like home.

**End**


End file.
